Rangers fans urged to back bid from former boss Walter Smith

RANGERS fans were last night urged to throw their financial weight behind an 11th-hour bid by former manager Walter Smith to wrest control of the club.

The Rangers Supporters Trust has asked fans not to renew their season tickets []

Businessman Charles Green sparked anger among supporters as he rejected a rival offer from Mr Smith and one of Scotland’s richest men.

Mr Green announced that he completed the £5.5million purchase of the stricken outfit’s business and assets just hours after it emerged the Ibrox legend had joined forces with billionaire industrialist Jim McColl.

Earlier, in another day of drama, Rangers’ creditors formally rejected a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in just nine minutes, forcing the club towards liquidation.

It then emerged that Mr Green’s new company would be called The Rangers FC, with the club hoping to remain part of the SPL.

In my view there’s been a distinct lack of transparency with Charles Green

Rangers Supporters Association general secretary John Macmillan

But a fresh twist saw Mr Smith, who played a crucial role in Rangers’ Nine in a Row campaign during his first spell as manager in the 1990s, unveil his consortium, which also includes the wealthy owner of the Hamilton-based motor group, Douglas Park.

However, Mr Green said he would not sell his shares to Mr Smith, instead offering the former manager a role on a new football board in a move which only further antagonised supporters.

Last night, as he left Ibrox having become new chief executive, Mr Green was loudly booed by fans who said that they wanted him out.

The Rangers Supporters Trust has asked fans not to renew their season tickets, to back Mr Smith’s £6million bid and put pressure on Mr Green to sell.

In a statement, the group said: “We firmly support the view that Rangers men should be in charge at this critical time in our history and that no profit should be gained by any individuals owning the club.

“This bid is the only one which will ensure all the Rangers family are united.

“We ask Charles Green to step aside from any deal to purchase Rangers and allow Walter Smith and Co to lead us into this new era for our club.”

Rangers Supporters Association general secretary John Macmillan also asked fans to delay renewing season

tickets.

“In my view there’s been a distinct lack of transparency with Charles Green,” he said.

“It’s hanging on a cliff edge. I think fans would be ill-advised to renew season tickets at this time.”

Last night at a press conference, Mr Green admitted that he did not know if Rangers would be in the “SPL, Irish or Welsh leagues next season”.

The former Sheffield United chairman also said that he would be offering Mr Smith a role as “chairman of the football board”.

He added he had not been approached with a formal offer but said the former Ibrox manager and Mr McColl could invest in the club.

“These are early days and there is a huge amount of hard work to be done to rebuild Rangers,” he said.

“It will take time and effort, passion and commitment. Rangers will rise again and that journey began in earnest at Ibrox today.”

But his proposals were dealt a blow when businessman Ian Hart, who was named as backing his Sevco consortium, denied he was involved.

The Glasgow businessman instead pledged his support for Mr Park and Mr Smith’s group.

He said: “I spoke with Douglas (Park) yesterday and today and I was very happy to be involved in putting more investment into the bid by Douglas.” Mr McColl, chief executive of global engineering company Clyde Blowers, is thought to be Scotland’s fifth richest man with an estimated fortune of £1billion.

He said it would be “in the best interest of Rangers FC” for Mr Green to transfer control of the club, just hours after his purchase was confirmed.

Mr McColl said: “I would like to issue a public appeal to Charles Green to strongly consider selling the club to the consortium fronted by Walter Smith. This would be in the best interests of Rangers FC, the fans and the whole of Scottish football.

"Mr Green does not have the backing of Rangers supporters and the longer he delays, the harder the situation will become.”

The failure of the CVA was confirmed earlier in the day after main creditor HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ruled it out.

Mr Smith announced the surprise rival bid hours later, calling on Mr Green to “step aside and allow us to proceed with our deal which is in the best interests of the creditors, the employees, the fans and the various other stakeholders of Rangers Football Club”.

He added: “Our overriding objective is to ensure that the stadium, the history and everything else magical about Rangers Football Club is protected and nurtured back to good health and provide a platform for Rangers for generations to come.”

Mr Green’s hopes of building a vibrant club at Ibrox were hit by speculation yesterday over his relationship with team manager Ally McCoist.

There were claims Mr McCoist was set to resign after discovering Mr Green had plans to replace him.

Mr McCoist remained tight-lipped while leaving Ibrox yesterday, and Mr Green insisted he had pleaded with the former Rangers star to stay.